Anfernee Simons vs Luke Kennard: who to start in Week 1
Anfernee Simons plays 4 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Luke Kennard 2. For that week alone, start Anfernee Simons: 84.6 projected fantasy points to 32.3 for Luke Kennard. Over the season, Anfernee Simons leads in points leagues (21.2 fantasy points a game to 16.2) and Luke Kennard in 9-cat leagues (200th against 203rd). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 and 2026-27 box scores, not ADP.
Updated Oct 22, 7:55 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #191
- 21.2 FP/G, slot 16.11
- 9-cat leagues
- #203
- -3.8 z, slot 17.11
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #267
- 16.2 FP/G, slot 23.03
- 9-cat leagues
- #200
- -3.8 z, slot 17.08
Day to day (Knee)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Anfernee Simons. 21.2 fantasy points per game against 16.2, 191st on our board to 267th.
9-cat leagues: Luke Kennard instead, -3.8 in summed z-scores against -3.8 (200th to 203rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Anfernee Simons is ahead in 4 (PTS, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Luke Kennard in 3 (STL, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Anfernee Simons produces more: 30.5 fantasy points to 27.0, on 24.9 minutes a night against 21.6. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Anfernee Simons plays 4 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Luke Kennard 2. For that week alone, start Anfernee Simons: 84.6 projected fantasy points to 32.3 for Luke Kennard.
Slots are where our board's order lands in a 12-team snake draft (round.pick), and dollars are auction value over replacement for 12 teams with $200 each. Neither is ADP: no free draft-position feed lets us republish it.
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Per game, side by side
| Per game | Anfernee Simons | Luke Kennard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.2 | 16.2 |
| Minutes | 24.9 | 21.6 |
| PointsPTS | 14.2 | 8.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.4 | 2.3 |
| AssistsAST | 2.3 | 2.2 |
| StealsSTL | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 2.7 | 1.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 44.3% | 53.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 89.6% | 91.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 55 | 78 |
Bold is the better number. The line blends 2025-26 with 2026-27 games as they are played, the same numbers the rankings use.
Per 36 minutes
| Per 36 | Anfernee Simons | Luke Kennard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 30.5 | 27.0 |
| Points | 20.5 | 14.0 |
| Rebounds | 3.5 | 3.9 |
| Assists | 3.3 | 3.7 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 3.9 | 2.5 |
| Turnovers | 1.7 | 1.3 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
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9-category z-scores
| Category | Anfernee Simons | Luke Kennard |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.4 | -1.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.5 | -1.6 |
| AssistsAST | -0.7 | -0.7 |
| StealsSTL | -1.6 | -0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.1 | -1.2 |
| Threes3PM | +1.1 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.8 | +0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.4 | +0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | +1.4 |
| Total | -3.8 | -3.8 |
Each number is standard deviations above or below the top 156 players (a 12-team league's rosters). Field goal and free throw percentage are weighted by attempts, and turnovers count against.
If you punt a category
Punting rebounds, steals, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Anfernee Simons.
| Punt | Anfernee Simons | Luke Kennard |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -3.4 (#246) | -2.4 (#189) |
| REB | -2.2 (#144) | -2.2 (#146) |
| AST | -3.2 (#209) | -3.1 (#203) |
| STL | -2.3 (#156) | -3.0 (#184) |
| BLK | -2.7 (#162) | -2.7 (#160) |
| 3PM | -4.9 (#276) | -3.7 (#215) |
| FG% | -2.9 (#156) | -4.3 (#226) |
| FT% | -4.3 (#233) | -4.1 (#225) |
| TO | -4.8 (#205) | -5.3 (#221) |
Value is the sum of the other eight z-scores, recomputed with the punted category left out of the pool that sets them; the rank is among all 391 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Anfernee Simons: 4 games (Tue @NYK, Thu CLE, Sat MIL, Sun DET), 1 back-to-back.
- Luke Kennard: 2 games (Wed @POR, Sat GSW), listed DTD.
Recent games
- Anfernee Simons: 7.8 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 21.2 on the board.
- Luke Kennard: 22.7 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 16.2 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Anfernee Simons playing tonight? · Is Luke Kennard playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Anfernee Simons or Luke Kennard?
Points leagues: Anfernee Simons. 21.2 fantasy points per game against 16.2, 191st on our board to 267th. 9-cat leagues: Luke Kennard instead, -3.8 in summed z-scores against -3.8 (200th to 203rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Anfernee Simons or Luke Kennard?
Category by category, Anfernee Simons is ahead in 4 (PTS, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Luke Kennard in 3 (STL, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Anfernee Simons or Luke Kennard?
Anfernee Simons plays 4 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Luke Kennard 2. For that week alone, start Anfernee Simons: 84.6 projected fantasy points to 32.3 for Luke Kennard.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 7:55 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number